US541822A - Railway-switch - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. E. BAILEY.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 541,822. Patented July 2, 1895.

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1 2 5 v M0104 By W MW "(an w I 2 t e e h S m e e h S 2 Km ET I uw AS Y m L M R m d o M 0 W Patented July 2, 1895.

Wilqasscs m UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EBEN E. BAILEY, ()F LAFAYETTE, INDIANA.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

$PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,822, dated July 2, 1895.. Application filed $eptember 26, 1894- Serial No.524,169. (No model To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EBEN E. BArLEY,'a citizen of the United Sates, residing at Lafayette, in the county of'Tippecanoe and State of'Indiana, have invented a new and useful Railway-Switch, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in those railway switches which are operated by a detent on the car, and engaging a portion of the switch so as to throw it; and the principal object of the invention is to so improve the construction of these appliances that their operation will be more positive and sure, and at the same time make them strong and durable enough to withstand the shock of the striking detent.

To these ends the invention consists of certain improved features of construction, and combination and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and finally embodied in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of a single switch, having my improved operating mechanism applied; Fi 2, a front elevation of a car, show ing the construction and arrangement of the detents; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the car, showing the same device; Fig. 4, a detail of the mechanism for operating the detent; Figs. 5. and 6, enlarged views of details of the switch mechanism; Fig. 7, a sectional view of one of the armed drums for drawing theop- 10, a detailed, perspective view of the connection between the two sections of the drum; Fig. 11, a detail view of the cable tightener; Fig. 12, a detail section on th'elineav a: of Fig.

'1; Fig. 13, a detail section on the line y y of Fig.1; Fig. 14:, a detail section on the line to w of Fig. 1.

The reference letter A indicates the main track, and A the switch, which is of that class wherein the rail sections a and a are pivoted and swing laterally to open or close the switch. Located at apoint near the ends of these rails or and a, and movable laterally in its bed, is the beam B, which projects beyond the rails of the track and is pivotally connected to the movable rail sections a and ct. Secured to the under side of the stationary rails, beneath which the beam 13 passes, are the loops B, which are two in number and are rigidly fixed to their respective rails.

Plvotally secured to the ends of the beam 8 are the two bell crank levers b, which are countersunk in the ends of the beam and have a long arm I) projecting longitudinally with the beam. A hook I) is formed on the end of the long arm, and projects over the side of the loops B, and is held normally'in engagement therewith by the spring b which is arranged in the cavity 1). The hooks b are formed with the two inclined faces b and 5 whereby, when the beam Bis moving to the right, the face b will engage the side of the loop B, and automatically snap in place; and when moving to the left, after having been engaged as explained, the inclined face h will allow the hook to be disengaged without operating the lever Z7 otherwise. By this means a train passing out the switch, or from right to left on the main track, may open the switch by the flanges of the wheels wedging themselves between the movable and stationary rails and thus forcing face I) of hook 19 out of engagement with the loop B; The books 12 are a distance apart not quite equal to .the distance that the rails of the track are apart, thus permitting the hooks to alternately engage the loops on the beam B. The short arms'b of the bell-cranks b'project out at right angles to the beam B, and are respectively connected to the cables C and c. The cable C extends from the short arm b of the lever 1), across the cross-tie ing on either of the cables 0 or c, the lever l), to whlch the cable is connected, will be swung on its fulcrum, and'the book 19 disengaged from its corresponding loop B, after which the beam B will be free to move in its bed, thus engaging the formerly disengaged hook b ,,and changing the switchmailsaand: a. In thisposition the switch .remainsuntilf the drums are operated to change the disposition.

The drums F and [I are duplicates of each other, and a description of one will suffice for all. Figs. 7, 8, 9, andlO show the details of these devices. Referring to these: I and 1' indicate two circular sections, the top and bottom respectively. Section 1, the bottom section, consists of a circular metallic casting, pivotally mounted upon the rigidstandard I arising from the tie beneath the drum. This section is provided with the cavity 1 in which the spiral spring I is arranged and disposed so as to give the section a normal tendency from right to left. Formed integral with the periphery of'the section I, andprojecting outwardly and upwardly therefrom, is the stud 1 This stud is formed'with an abrupt shoulder on its right-handside, and the left-handsideis inclined or taperedso as to gradually merge in. the regular periphery of the section. Formed in this tapering side of the stud 1 and extending around the periphery of the section to the opposite side, is the groove 1", which terminates in an eye 17. To this eye the cable, say c',.is eonnected,and; the cable extends through the groove. 1 around the section tothe stud 1 Thus it& will: be seen that the spring I gives1thesection- I atendency to the-left; and will.canse the section toreturn automaticallyto itsnormal position.

The upper ortop section, I, ofthe drums, consists of a circular. bodyportion,.revoluhly mounted on the spindle or-standard-P, and:of; a size equal to that of the lower section. Formed integral with. the section I, and:in.a position that willv normally occur oven the. stud I is acompanion stud t', which projects. outwardly from the upper section,- andwhich. engages the upper part of stud I whenever. either sectionis rotated toward'the stud of itscompanion. Thus studal is formed with an. abrupt shoulder adapted to engage with the corresponding shoulder of' stud 1 while the remaining side of the stud t'tapers gradually out and .is formedinto the arm i. This arm t" extends out from itssection a distance sufficient to afforda leverage sufficieut topermit. turningthe section on its axis, and-by meansthat will hereinafter appear.

Formed in the interior of the sectionI, and iuthe lower side thereof, is a cavity which: is adapted for the reception of the-helical spring Rand this springis disposed oppositely to the spring '6 so as to give the sectionl an opposite tendency.

It will be seen that. the cable is connected only to the lower sectionI", and .that the twosections are only connectedwhen the'lugs are moving toward each other. Hence, upon striking the arms", the section. I will move from right to left andicause the studs or lugs: 1 and t' to engage, which will move section I" in asimilar direction. This will'draw onits cableand tendto wind.itaround.thescc-tion. Whenthe ,arrnnji'is released, thetop section will swing back to its normal position, and

the bottom section will swing in the same direction, so as to automatically replace the N drums H and F, and located one adjacent to each lug 1 The purpose of these stops is to limit the inward movement of the sections 1. These stops are short enough to allow the sections I to pass over them and to engage with So the lower portion of' the lug 1 Now, for illustration, suppose the arm 2" of drum H be struck and the two sections rotated as explained. The cable 0 willbe drawn and the right-hand lever I) released from loop B, and

made to move to the left, thus engaging the leftehandloop B and the corresponding hook 19 and opening the switch as to side track A. When the arm 1" is released, the spring 2' will swingthe arm and its section back to the nor- 0 mal position and ready-for-asecond opera-. tion, while the-.sectionl' will, by its:spring, be made-tonnove in the'same directionuntil stopped by the stop Nion the tie, which will place the parts in their, normal=position.. If

the drum F be revolved, as;was druml-I, the same operationwillensue- The devices for operatingithe drums are arranged on the locomotive, and, if so desired,

onallthe cars, and consist of the vertically- IO) movable deteuts K. and Insecured: to the truck-beamsandarranged so thatone willalways be in posit ion .to engage one ofthe drums. These detents are .normallyraisedbut of en:-

gagement with the .dru ms, and.- areoperated [o5 byrthelever:K W.11ich.is pivoted in.-the loop K and connectediat. one-end'to their respect.- ive detents, while their. remaining ends are connected-to the verticallysextending rods 11?.

These-rods, K project up to-.the top .of the no car, or to-the floor ofthe cab, according to the appliance to whichthey are connected; and are held incapable of lateral displacementz'on the keepers Ki. The upper ends of: these rodsare connected:to the cam lever. la, andare pive 1 15 otally mouuted in the boxes is, and arranged so thatthe rods K may be moved vertically byoperatingthe cam levers. Bythismeanseitherof the detents-K. or L maybe raisedor lowered; so as.to engage or: disengage the drums of'the switch mechanism.

When one train has passed, thedrums-and:

their. attachments will be left in the position in which they were placedato admit the passageof the train, and when a secondztrain arrives,and its operators desire to take atcoursedifferent from that taken by the first train, the-detents Kv or. L should be operated'toeffeet the result, as before described; The purpose of. the two sections of thedrumsandr 0 their oppositely-disposedsprings-is:to-permit the drums to be'revolvediby thedetentsK or L, so as to draw on the .cables;:and. so that; when not operating, the armsz" willbe re-- turned ready for a second operation. This necessarily requires two oppositely-moving sections, provided with means ( studs 1 and 1;) for causing them to be revolved in unison when moving in one direction only, and for allowing section I to operate independently when moving in the opposite direction.

In the practice of my invention, an engine is usually equipped with the detents K and and L, and as the engine is moving over the track the detent necessary to close the switch is kept down, so that all switches open by neglect or chance are closed, and those already closed are left unaffected. Supposing, however, that it is desired to enter a switch: the detents are reversed, and the detent necessary to the opening of a switch lowered, so that it will engage drum H and shift rails a and a.

A train passing out theswitch A, or from right to left on the track, does not require any engagement with operating cords, since the formation of the hook'b will permit the beam 13,-and consequently the switch-rails, to move laterally upon the engagement of the flanges of the wheels with the said rails, all of which will be understood.

Figs. 12, 13, and 14 illustrate the formation of-the rails and adjacent cross-ties, whereby snow and other foreign matter are prevented from clogging up the parts. Thus, Fig. 12

shows the. tie O to be formed with beveled faces C located-two directly under each rail a, and a and having its upper edge terminating in a slightly rounded portion upon which the respective rails rest.' By this structure it is quite impossible for the snow, dust and other foreign matter falling on the tie to be retained, since it must fall oif as soon as de posited thereon. I have shown but two ties under the rails or and ain the drawings, since this is all that is necessary to an illustration of the invention, but in practice the ties will be arranged, as usual, about every twelve or eighteen inches apart. When so arranged all ties which are located under rails a and ct will be formed with the faces C as shown.

Fig. 13 shows how the beam 13 is to be provided with beveled faces B similar to face C and adapted to be located adjacent to the stationary rails A of the track. These faces operate similar to the faces C and do not require further description.

Fig. 14: shows how t he rail A are formed with a vertical face A to correspond with the similar face or end on each of the switch-rails, whereby foreign matter is prevented from being caught between the two parts and the same clogged. These features of construction, those illustrated by Figs. 12, 13 and 14, are also shown in Fig.1 in top plan.

Each of the cables is provided with the tension devices M, which consist of a barrel M and spring M and by which the tension of the cables is insured Having described the invention, I claim- 1. A railway switch comprising the combination of two movable rail sections, a cable connected to the sections, a winding drum to which the cable is also connected, a spring for giving the drum a tendency to a normal position, an arm pivotally mounted adjacent to the drum, a spring also for giving the arm a tendency to a normal position, and means capable of connecting the arm and drum and operating to connect them only when the former is moving to operate the switch, whereby the arm will operate the switch when moved in one direction, and will not operate it when moving in the opposite direction, substantially as described.

2. A railway switch comprising the combination of two movable rail sections, a laterally-movable bar to which they are pivotally connected, two loops or eyes rigid on the roadbed, two-hooks on the bar and adapted to alternately engage the loops or eyes upon moving the bar in its bed, cables connected to the hooks and arranged to disengage the engaged hook and loop, and to move the bar to which the hooks are attached, thus operating the switch, and means for drawing on the cables, whereby the switch is 0perated,suhstantially as described.

3. A railway switch comprising the combination of two movable rail sections, a laterally-movable bar pivotally connected to each, two eyes or loops rigid on the roadbed, two swinging hooks pivoted to the bar and adapted to alternately engage the loops whereby the switch is locked in the desired position, actuating cables connected to the hooks, a drum over which each cable is wound, a spring for moving the drum back to its normal position after being operated, an arm adjacent to each of the drums, a spring operating with the arm and having a: tendency to move the arm in a direction opposite to that of the drum spring,

and means capable of connectingthe arms and drums and operating to so connect them only when the former are moved tooperate the switch, substantially as described.

at. A switch comprising the combination of two movable rail sections, cables connected thereto, whereby they are operated, drums, over one of which each of the cables is wound, a spiral spring arranged in each drum and operating to hold the drums in their normal positions, an arm pivoted above each of the drums and having a spiral spring located thereiu,whereby it is given a tendency to move in a direction opposite the tendency of the drum, and means capable of connecting the arm and drum and operating to connect them only when the former is moved to operate the switch, whereby the cables may be operated to move the switch and whereby the arms and drums will be returned to their normal positions, substantially as described.

5. In a railway switch, the combination of two movable rail sections, a cable connected In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown I have hereto affixed mysignatnre in to the presence of two Witnesses.

, EBEN E. BAILEY. Witnesses:

CHARLES E. LUKE, DE Wrrr 0. WILSON.

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